Sin Separates No More!

Sin separates. You see that all the time. Sin separates old friends. Sin separates spouses and destroys marriages. Sin separates brother from brother and mother from daughter. This is one of saddest realities of life: Sin separates. But it gets even worse: Sin also separates us from God. “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). Sin separates!

God had a powerful way of reminding his people that sin separates. In the great temple in Jerusalem, there was a big curtain that separated everyone from God’s presence in the Holy of Holies. Only one priest once a year could enter that that most holy place. Why? It’s simple. Sin separates sinful people from our perfect God.

But when Jesus died on the cross, something amazing happened, “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). When Jesus died, he took away the thing that separates us from God—sin. You’re forgiven. I’m forgiven! We have peace with God again. Just notice what direction the curtain tore: top to bottom. Salvation is never an arrow-pointing up—us working hard to make it to God. Salvation is always an arrow-pointing down—God reaching down to save us. Because of Jesus, sin separates no more. You’re forgiven. There’s nothing that can separate you from the love of God!